Robert Wilson
2020 Nobel Laureate in Economic Sciences | Adams Distinguished Professor, Stanford GSB | Pioneer of Auction Theory & Market Design
Frances Frei
Harvard Business School Professor | Former SVP of Leadership & Strategy at Uber | Authority on Trust & Change | Co-Author of Move Fast & Fix Things
Frances Frei is one of the world's leading authorities on trust and leadership. A Harvard Business School professor who became Uber's first SVP of Leadership and Strategy during its most turbulent chapter, she has guided some of the era's biggest corporate turnarounds. Her TED talk on rebuilding trust has been viewed by millions. On stage, she shows leaders how to build trust, empower others, and fix hard problems fast.
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Frances Frei biography
Frances Frei is one of the world’s most sought-after authorities on trust, leadership, and large-scale organizational change. A Professor of Technology and Operations Management at Harvard Business School, she has spent her career studying how the best leaders create the conditions for people and organizations to thrive, and she is known for stepping directly into some of the most high-profile corporate turnarounds of the past decade.
Leadership speaker Frances Frei became widely known beyond academia in 2017, when she took a leave from Harvard to serve as Uber’s first Senior Vice President of Leadership and Strategy, helping the company confront a very public crisis in culture and trust during a period of hyper-growth. That experience sharpened her thinking on trust as the foundation of leadership and inspired her TED talk on how to build and rebuild trust, now viewed by millions. Her work has helped organizations from Silicon Valley to the Fortune 500 tackle everything from management and culture to inclusion and rapid transformation.
Trust, Speed, and the Science of Fixing Things
Frei earned her bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the University of Pennsylvania, a master’s in industrial engineering from Penn State, and a PhD from the Wharton School, and she has become one of Harvard’s most celebrated teachers. With her longtime collaborator Anne Morriss, she is the co-author of three influential books, Uncommon Service, Unleashed, and Move Fast & Fix Things, and co-host of the popular TED Audio Collective podcast Fixable, where the two help callers solve real workplace problems in a single session. Her central argument is a hopeful one: the supposed trade-off between moving fast and taking care of people is false, and trust is what makes speed and excellence possible at the same time.
As a speaker, Frances Frei gives leaders a practical, evidence-based framework for earning trust, empowering the people around them, and driving meaningful change with urgency. She speaks on trust and leadership, building inclusive high-performing cultures, and how to solve hard problems fast without breaking the organization. Audiences leave energized and equipped with tools they can use immediately, delivered with the warmth, wit, and clarity that have made her a favorite on the world’s biggest stages.
Frances Frei Speaking Videos
How to build (and rebuild) trust | Frances Frei
Uncommon Service | Frances Frei & Anne Morriss | Talks at Google
Frances Frei Keynote Topics
Trust is the foundation of leadership, and when it breaks, everything falters. Drawing on the ideas in her millions-strong TED talk and her work inside companies like Uber, Frances Frei breaks trust down into three drivers, authenticity, logic, and empathy, and shows leaders how to diagnose which one is wobbling and rebuild it with intention.
The belief that you must choose between speed and doing right by your people is, Frei argues, simply wrong. Based on her book with Anne Morriss, this talk gives leaders a practical playbook for solving hard problems with urgency while making employees, customers, and shareholders better off, replacing "move fast and break things" with something far more powerful.
The best leadership isn't about you; it's about how effectively you make the people around you better, even in your absence. Frei explores how trust, high standards, and genuine belonging create environments where everyone can excel, and how leaders can build that kind of empowering culture at scale.
Frei reframes inclusion not as a compliance exercise but as a lever for performance. She shares practical, research-grounded approaches to building cultures where difference is valued and everyone can do their best work, turning inclusion into a genuine source of speed, innovation, and results.
Speaker topics
FAQs on Booking Frances Frei
Why Frances Frei?
Booking Frances Frei gives audiences one of the most credible and dynamic voices on trust, leadership, and change in the world today. A celebrated Harvard Business School professor, she has done more than study leadership from the classroom, she stepped into Uber during its most turbulent period as its first SVP of Leadership and Strategy, giving her rare firsthand authority on rebuilding trust under pressure. Her TED talk on trust has been viewed by millions, and her books and hit podcast with Anne Morriss have made her ideas part of the global leadership conversation. Warm, funny, and refreshingly practical, she turns complex organizational challenges into clear, actionable steps, making her an ideal speaker for leadership summits, corporate conferences, and any organization navigating growth, culture, or change. To bring Frances Frei to your next event, contact Aurum Speakers Bureau.
Who is Frances Frei?
Frances Frei is a Professor of Technology and Operations Management at Harvard Business School and a globally recognized authority on trust, leadership, and organizational change. In 2017 she served as Uber's first Senior Vice President of Leadership and Strategy, helping the company address a public crisis in its culture. She is the co-author of three books with Anne Morriss and co-host of the TED Audio Collective podcast Fixable, and her TED talk on building and rebuilding trust has been viewed by millions.
What is Frances Frei's framework for trust?
Frances Frei teaches that trust rests on three core drivers: authenticity (people experience the real you), logic (they have faith in your judgment and competence), and empathy (they believe you care about them). When trust breaks down, she argues, it can usually be traced to a wobble in one of these three. Her approach helps leaders pinpoint which driver is failing and take specific action to rebuild it.
What topics does leadership speaker Frances Frei cover?
Frances Frei speaks on trust, leadership, and organizational change; moving fast to fix hard problems; building empowering and inclusive high-performance cultures; and leading through growth and crisis. Her keynotes suit leadership summits, corporate conferences, and organizations navigating transformation, where audiences want both rigorous insight and practical tools. To book Frances Frei as a speaker, contact Aurum Speakers Bureau.
How to book Frances Frei as a keynote speaker?
Aurum Speakers Bureau can help you book Frances Frei as a speaker for your next event, conference, or board meeting. Simply fill out our contact form to inquire about Frances Frei's availability for a speaking engagement. One of our booking agents will respond to your request immediately and contact the speaker to let them know you want to hire them. We will assist you with obtaining speaking fees, booking information, and confirming availability for Frances Frei or any other top keynote speaker or celebrity of your choice.
How much is Frances Frei speaking fee?
Frances Frei speaking fees are determined by several factors, including the event's date, whether it's a virtual or in-person event, the duration, format, preparation required for their speech, and more. The same applies to the cost to hire any other top expert speakers and celebrities. The Speaker Fee Range listed on our website is simply a guideline and is subject to change without notice. If you would like to hire Frances Frei to deliver a keynote speech for your event, please fill out the contact form or email us at info@aurumbureau.com with as much detail as possible. One of our experienced agents will get in touch with you and let you know exactly how much it will cost to book Frances Frei.
How can I contact Frances Frei?
We only work with Frances Frei on paid speaking engagements. Aurum Speakers Bureau can assist you in booking Frances Frei and will handle all negotiations, contracts, and logistics associated with having Frances Frei speak at your event. We will be your sole point of contact throughout the process. Get in touch with Aurum Speakers Bureau today, and we will reach out to any motivational speaker or celebrity you want to enquire about speaking at your event. If you wish to contact Frances Frei for any other reason, we will be unable to assist you as we are not authorized to provide personal contact information.
Can I book Frances Frei for a virtual keynote?
Yes, Frances Frei is available for virtual keynotes and webinars. To book Frances Frei for a virtual event, please complete the contact form or send us an email to inquire about the special fees for virtual engagements.
